


the ghosts in my mind

by ladyofdecember



Category: The Venture Bros
Genre: Angst, Emotionally Repressed, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mentions of Death, Mentions of ghosts, Unresolved Sexual Tension, season 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 10:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16491089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofdecember/pseuds/ladyofdecember
Summary: Orpheus checks in on Rusty to see how he's holding up with the death of his father.





	the ghosts in my mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [danvssomethingorother](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danvssomethingorother/gifts).



> This was a quick drabble I did over on Tumblr with the prompt "I don't believe in ghosts". It's super short but really heavy on the angst between the two!

It was storming out and Rusty was home alone in the tower when Orpheus decided to apparite in the middle of his living room. It wasn’t as if he had been doing much but the man should still use the damn door at least once in his life!

“Greetings, Mister Venture, pray tell I’m not interrupting anything?”

Rusty stared at the man, dressed as per usual in his robe and long cape. He scoffed and shrugged a little. “I guess not.”

“Oh good. I wanted to speak with you regarding the unfortunate situation that happened with your father. I feel we haven’t had much opportunity in the last few months in order to discuss it.”

“What’s to discuss?” The scientist shrugged, going to sit on the couch and flip through one of Dean’s university catalogs he’d found on the table.

Orpheus frowned and lowered his eyebrows. “Why, your father of course! It’s necessary to talk about these things with trusted loved ones in an effort to get any emotionally charged baggage out of our psyche!”

“Uh-huh… ”

The man began to pace the room. “Why, the atmosphere of this tower is just brimming with chaotic turmoil! The air is… electrically charged!”

Rusty glanced up from the course book and cocked an eyebrow. “Pretty sure that’s just the heater.”

Orpheus let out a long suffering sigh as his eyes tried to peer into his very soul. “Mister Venture, the ghost of your father, his soul-”

Rusty interrupted, “How many times do I have to tell you, Orpheus, I don’t believe in ghosts!”

The necromancer stood there, taking in the position of the man before him, lounging on the couch, idly reading some magazine. He was trying to reach out to him here, just like in the old days and offer a comforting shoulder for his weary brow.

“Why must you insist upon shielding yourself with an ever present iron curtain? Every time I reach out, you pull away! The emotional outreach is a necessary human experiment that we must all partake in!”

Rusty scoffed and tossed the catalog aside, getting to his feet in annoyance. He put his hands on his hips. “Oh please, Orpheus, you’re just bored and looking for some drama! Sorry to burst your ‘magic bubble’ but ghosts aren’t real and there’s absolutely no emotional turmoil or whatever nonsense you’re spouting around here!”

Orpheus looked at him, really looked at the man and just sighed in defeat. He sadly shook his head. “Fine. I will… go. It is clear you are not willing to share your life experience in a soul bonding exercise.”

Rusty rolled his eyes. “See ya later, Orpheus. If you don’t mind, I have some sciencing to do.”

The man gave him one final, grim look and then vanished from the penthouse entirely.

Rusty moved to sit back down on the couch and stare at the far wall. He blinked slowly and recalled the words the man had said, that he had an iron curtain shielding him from emotions, as if that could be a thing.

The man glanced around the room. There were ghosts all around, everywhere he looked, haunting his every moment. The ghosts of Hank and Dean, of his father, of J.J.The man took off his glasses and shut his eyes, rubbing them gently. He wasn’t some cold being, he felt, too much sometimes. It was necessary for him to keep the thoughts at bay, necessary for him to survive and just keep going.The necromancer didn’t understand. He never would.


End file.
